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Should I bet sides or totals? This is the question that is on the mind of a lot of sports betting fans, especially those that are just starting out. The problem with the question is that there is no real answer. Some people have been very successful betting sides, while others have had as much success betting the totals. When it comes to online betting, each sport is different. For example, most people that bet on basketball games claim to have more success betting the totals than they do betting the sides, whereas, most people that bet on football, claim to have more success placing bets on the sides than on the totals. This tells us that neither strategy is automatically better, and the right choice depends on the sport, matchup, available value, and how well you can evaluate the market.
Editorial Note
This content explains the differences between betting sides and totals, including how point spreads, moneylines, game totals, statistics, and market pricing can influence each decision. It is intended for educational purposes and does not guarantee winning picks or betting outcomes.
Quick Answer
Neither sides nor totals are inherently better. Betting sides focuses on which team will win or cover the point spread, while betting totals focuses on whether the combined score will finish over or under the sportsbook’s line. The better option depends on the matchup, available value, and the market you can evaluate most effectively.
Which is Better between Sides vs Totals?
For some people, betting in sides makes more sense, because they get to pick which team will win an event, and in almost every sport, there is always a favorite and an underdog. Betting on the favorite is a safe approach, because the favorites win more often than the underdogs. The only problem with that strategy, is the fact that the oddsmakers know that the betting public loves betting on the favorites, which is why the profit margin is very low when picking favorites to win straight up. For example, a game featuring the Seattle Seahawks and the Las Vegas Raiders will likely have a money line of -1200 for the Seahawks to win, and +1100 for the Raiders to win. This means that you will have to spend $1200 on the Seahawks in order to win $100, and if you bet $100 on the Raiders, you will win $1100.
Looking at that example, it is clearly not profitable to bet on the favorite, even when you win. This is why the oddsmakers try to entice sports bettors with the point spread. The point spread offers you a chance to win more money betting on the favorite, because the line is usually set from -105 to -130. If you win with those types of odds, you can still turn a decent profit betting on favorites.
Sides vs Totals and Point Spread
Point spreads are set to make the favorite look tempting, so betting them takes discipline.
If you’ve bet for a while, you already know the trick. If you’re new, the short version is that sportsbooks know most people bet on the team they see winning on TV every week and skip the underdog, even when the underdog is the better value. A break in the schedule matters too: downtime can affect a team’s rhythm and recent form, which changes how a side should be evaluated.
Staying impartial and looking past the favorite for real value is what makes spread betting work.
What to Look When Betting Totals?
When it comes to betting on totals, the winner doesn’t matter, which takes some of the pressure away from your decision, because you don’t have to worry about picking the favorite or underdog to win the game. While the pressure of picking the winning team has been removed from the equation, you still have to bet on if the two teams will go over the amount of points provided by the oddsmakers or if they will be under it when the game is over. It is also important to understand how much you are actually risking on each wager, especially when comparing different betting strategies, so if you are new to sports betting, learning what a unit is in sports betting can help you keep your bets consistent. This seems simple enough, but like when you are picking sides, it is easier said than done.
Statistics in the Sides vs Totals
Most people use statistics to help them determine if a game will go over or not, but it isn’t an exact science, so you can only get so much from the statistics. One trend that oddsmakers have noticed, is the fact a lot of people who bet on the totals tend to go for the over instead of under. The most common reasoning behind this is that people prefer offense to defense, and bet accordingly. Since oddsmakers know people tend to bet the over more often, they have started setting the totals in a way that exploits the tendency to their benefit.
Conclusion
The advantage of betting the totals in games over picking the sides is the fact that you can afford to be wrong and still be right. If you think that a game will go over the total because one team is going to have a very good day, but it turns out that that team struggles, you can still win your bet if the other team has a good day.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, neither betting strategy has an advantage over the other, you just have to find a good balance between the two of them to maximize your chances of winning your bets.
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About the Author
Since 2008, D.S. Williamson has written about sports and sports handicapping. His philosophy is value-based, meaning statistics and other handicapping factors are only useful when compared with the available wagering odds. He believes bankroll management and consistently making value-based wagers are the most important factors separating successful sports bettors from unsuccessful bettors.
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